Agent Optimization: Top Investment Priority

<p><strong>London &mdash; May 17</strong><br />A survey of contact center professionals conducted by independent market analyst Datamonitor reveals contact center and contact center agent optimization are viewed as key investment priorities over the next three years. </p><p>According to the report, &ldquo;Contact Center Markets &amp; Technology &mdash; Technology Evolution,&rdquo; pressure on contact center managers to do more (services) with less (budget) is increasing the demand for optimization technologies. </p><p>According to Datamonitor, as vendors look to develop multicomponent solutions, effective integration and partnering will become a necessity taking vendors a step closer toward performance management solutions. </p><p>In turn, the complexity of deploying such solutions will create a bigger role for professional services.<br /><br />Datamonitor&rsquo;s report highlights the way contact centers are improving customer service through greater efficiency, using a range of optimization technologies. </p><p>The report considers the role these technologies can play in delivering superior customer services from contact centers.<br /><br /> Contact centers are trying to move away from day-to-day fire fighting and are looking to longer-term improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of their customer interactions.<br /><br />Workforce optimization technologies can help. These solutions form component parts of an interlocking and interdependent solution chain for contact centers and related back-office functions. </p><p>Their aim is two-fold: to improve the efficiency of contact center operations and to maximize the effectiveness of contact center agents working to serve customers.<br /><br />Workforce optimization technology solutions fall under four broad categories:</p><ul><li>Quality monitoring, the recording and analysis of telephone and data interactions between customer and agent.</li><li>Workforce management, the efficient scheduling of human resources in call centers.</li><li>Contact center analytics, the analysis of agent, team, contact center and customer service organization performance data from enterprise sources.<br /></li><li>E-coaching, the online delivery of training to agents to improve their performance in key areas.</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Contact centers who adopt solutions to address both efficiency and effectiveness are realizing the next level of improvement: performance management.<br /><br />Datamonitor sees a growing role for professional services firms in the optimization of customer service organizations. </p><p>As optimization of an increasing array of resources becomes more common, professional services firms will have an important role to play in both planning and deploying these solutions. </p><p>The fundamental importance of customer contact through contact centers means the time for optimization solution vendors and professional services firms to forge relationships is now.<br /><br />Datamonitor&rsquo;s research and analysis indicates the market for workforce optimization market has entered its growth phase. </p><p>Recent mergers and acquisitions activity &mdash; for example NICE System&rsquo;s acquisition of IEX and Performix &mdash; has further settled this contact center solution set an established player in the customer contact technology market.<br /><br />&ldquo;The contact center optimization market is experiencing a period of significant and wide-ranging change,&quot; said Tom Pringle, Datamonitor senior technology analyst. &quot;From consolidation to new entrants and a rapid pace of change in technology, getting market strategy right has never been so important for survival in this space. Refocusing on the customer will help vendors create stronger product and experience higher growth.&quot;</p>